Orange, T-Mobile and 3 are offering new purchase options for Apple's iPad users, including what the companies will insist are more affordable prices when purchased with a data service plan.

Mobile phone network providers Orange, T-Mobile and 3 are offering new purchase options for Apple's iPad users, including what the companies will insist are more affordable prices when purchased with a data service plan.

Orange and likely T-Mobile will charge £199 up-front for a new 16GB iPad in return for new and existing customers signing up to a 24-month 3G contact, which offers 1GB of data plus another 1GB of 'quiet time' data use after midnight for £27 per month.

Customers will be able to upgrade to the 32GB iPad by paying £249, while £349 gets you the 64GB iPad.

3 have announced similar plans "in the coming months" but have yet to give details of monthly pricing and data plans or up-front charges.

Vodafone are also rumoured to be offering iPad monthly data service plans, although the provider on Friday dismissed those reports as speculation.

O2 meanwhile said they had no immediate plans to offer subsidised iPads to customers.

Meanwhile Les Echos reports French iPad users will soon be offered similar cut-price iPads in return for signing up to a monthly 3G contract.

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Dragonfly - 03:19 29-11-2010

@Jonah, I think &#xa3;149 for indefinite Global 3G data usage (within the limitations of a kindle, i.e. no streaming media / flash, etc...) is probably too good to be true and will end one day.Having said that, I think US customers have been benefiting from it for the last 3 years. As it stands, the Kindle is worth the money just for the convenience of free global 3G data access, but I would feel obligated to buy books as well, to support the service. (That&apos;s just me and my conscience :-) ).

Jonah - 19:25 28-11-2010

The &apos;free&apos; 3G deals will come to an end if/when they use too much data. Just like the &apos;unlimited&apos; data for the iPhone soon became limited.

Dragonfly - 17:51 28-11-2010

When the Kindle and Vodafone offers full, global, non contract (in theory unlimited) 3G support on its &#xa3;149 device. It doesn&apos;t make these iPad deals seem particularly good.Orange and T-Mobile&apos;s deal makes the iPad &#xa3;847 over 2 years. And no phone calls / text messages ?I would have thought Apple could do a deal that allows carriers to get a percentage of any purchases made over 3G. or perhaps a nominal download tax could be added (so small it wouldn&apos;t be worth waiting until you were in a wifi hotspot before downloading).The web may not look as good on the device, but you can browse books and the web for free on a Kindle via 3G, anywhere in the world.